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“Stay motivated with an injury”
How to get motivated
How can players stay motivated with an injury? Players can feel immense frustration and sadness when sustaining a serious injury. Even though injury is part of sports, it’s still a powerless feeling to get the bad news of a torn ACL or a badly sprained ankle.
There is a natural trajectory that players must follow to play at the next level. So if a player sustains a serious injury in junior sport then parents panic that their child will regress, not be recruited, or become disillusioned with basketball all together.
This isn't true. There are plenty of ways to stay motivated with an injury & grow as a player!
Firstly, one of the biggest deciding factors at the next level is mental toughness. Rehabbing from a serious injury is an opportunity to develop your mental toughness. So it’s in the player’s best interest to handle injury & recovery with the proper mindset!
Here are 6 ways for players to stay motivated with an injury
1. Create inspiration scrapbook: Seeing a culmination of inspirational stories, positive mantras, and pictures of sportspeople who overcame serious adversity can be very motivational for players. Parents can certainly do this with their kids! This activity is very helpful for the player’s positive mindset because it shows the parent’s unwavering support & confidence in the player rehabbing from the injury.
2. Watching basketball games: Watching basketball games is an excellent tool in furthering player development. When watching games regularly, injured players are challenged to plug into the strategy of the sport versus only the physical side of drills and skill development. Watching games will boost a player’s basketball intelligence and further develop his or her understanding of the game. When done properly, players who’ve watched games return to the court with an elevated court awareness and won't fall behind their peers.
3. Learn the X’s & O’s: Next level players can analyse plays and basketball situations at game speed. Good decision-making is crucial for players who want to stand out, get selected for leadership roles, or lock-in serious playing time. Take the time to study defensive sets, offensive sets, matchups, playing styles. If you need assistance, we are now offering this kind of support for players, parents, and coaches in our FREE online community Better Basketball Support.
4. Support your team even though you are injured: Cheering from the sideline shows tremendous character to your coach and shows your commitment to the team. Showing your support for others is not only character building, but it also lends a different perspective for the player in boosting their court savvy. Watching from the sideline will give the player a bird’s eye view of team dynamics, coaching strategy, and game analysis.
5. Redirect the time you trained into a creative activity: Super dedicated players can lose their identity when they experience a serious injury. We don't want our identity solely wrapped up in basketball. We aim to mentor well-rounded athletes. Take this time to boost wellness and redirect the time you train into a creative activity. Our creative activities in Soul Time Balance are designed to reduce stress and boost wellness.
6. Eat well: You’ve heard the phrase, “healthy habits start in the kitchen,” and it’s true. The road to rehabilitation is long for some athletes. Players mustn’t sabotage their playing future or delay more time in getting back to the court! Eating well can be a family commitment and should boost morale in the household. Check out our Soul Time Nourish, which incorporates nutrition and meal prep to boost wellness for the entire family.
